This invention considers the problem of enabling a Mobile Terminal to function as an IP router on a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) wireless network. Currently, a Mobile Terminal is standardized to connect to a 3GPP network as purely a terminal, which means on the Internet Protocol (IP) level the Mobile Terminal is assumed to support only IP/IPv6 host functionalities. This means that router functionalities, such as those defined in RFC 1812 for IPv4, or scattered into the RFCs 2460 to 2473 for IPv6, typically cannot be supported on or behind current 3GPP Mobile Terminals.
Mobile Terminal functionalities, as specified in 3GPP TS 27.060 V4.0.0 (2001-03) document, indicate that a Mobile Terminal is designed to function on a high level in a similar manner as a modem, which establishes a connection with a network access server (NAS). This design in the current specification enables IP host operation only rather than operation over a point-to-point link connected to an IP router. One issue is that the Gateway General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Support Node (GGSN) assigns individual addresses for the Mobile Terminal in an activated Packet Data Protocol (PDP) Context, and does not forward traffic for other IP addresses via those addresses. Thus, a Mobile Terminal may not configure addresses into itself if there are other addresses in it or behind it, e.g. in a personal area network (PAN) connected to other networks via a Mobile Terminal. Also, there is a requirement for legal interception of traffic by the Mobile Terminal, in addition to the IPv6 routing requirements.